Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, December 24, 2013

Name: Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, December 24, 2013
Start: 2013-12-24T01:00
End: 2013-12-24T22:00
Location: Pennsylvania

December 24, 2013 · NWS CLE · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Cold northwest winds blowing across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to develop during early morning hours of December 24th. The snow continued through the evening hours before tapering off.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $225,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS CLE wrote it up.

Cold northwest winds blowing across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to develop during early morning hours of December 24th. The snow continued through the evening hours before tapering off. Intermittent periods of moderate to heavy snow occurred during the daylight hours. Visibilities were less than one half mile at times and snowfall rates exceeded an inch per hour. Snowfall totals of 6 to 10 inches were common across Erie County. A peak total of 11.5 inches was reported south of North East with 9.4 inches in Mill Creek Township. A total of 5.0 inches was reported at Erie International Airport. Several serious accidents occurred on Interstate 90 causing significant holiday travel delays.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Cleveland, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 23, 11:58 PM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 11:58 PM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 23, 3:23 PM EST, 9 hours 37 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Erie

When: December 24, 1:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Erie forecast zone
Property damage: $150,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.118, -80.098 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold northwest winds blowing across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to develop during early morning hours of December 24th. The snow continued through the evening hours before tapering off. Intermittent periods of moderate to heavy snow occurred during the daylight hours. Visibilities were less than one half mile at times and snowfall rates exceeded an inch per hour. Snowfall totals of 6 to 10 inches were common across Erie County. 9.4 inches of snow was measured in Mill Creek Township. A total of 5.0 inches was reported at Erie International Airport. Several serious accidents occurred on Interstate 90 causing significant holiday travel delays.

Lake-Effect Snow, Southern Erie

When: December 24, 1:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Erie forecast zone
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.118, -80.098 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold northwest winds blowing across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to develop during early morning hours of December 24th. The snow continued through the evening hours before tapering off. Intermittent periods of moderate to heavy snow occurred during the daylight hours. Visibilities were less than one half mile at times and snowfall rates exceeded an inch per hour. Snowfall totals of 6 to 10 inches were common across Erie County. A peak total of 11.5 inches was reported south of North East. Several serious accidents occurred on Interstate 90 causing significant holiday travel delays.

What these are

Lake-Effect Snow: Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, December 2013

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 490363, 490365.